(a) Field
The subject matter disclosed generally relates to a process to extract drinking water from a plant. There is also provided plant drinking water prepared according to the process and beverages, and more particularly to a beverage containing plant drinking water and nutriments and dietary minerals extracted from plant and/or flavoring ingredients.
(b) Related Prior Art
Maple sap is a naturally occurring, unprocessed crystal-clear liquid, having the consistency and clarity of water, which derives from the sugar maple tree. It is generally available from the sugar maple tree during the late winter and early spring. Maple sap has a sugar content ranging from approximately 2 to 5° Brix (° Bx), the majority of the sugar content being sucrose and glucose. The remainder of the maple sap content is naturally occurring water and very small amounts of organic acids, a portion of which is responsible for the maple flavor, and some vitamins and minerals. It is not to be confused with “maple syrup” which is the viscous liquid obtained by concentration and heat treatment of maple sap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,424,089 to Munch et al. describes carbonated maple sap and method of making the same. However, the beverage produced is prepared from complete sap water and will therefore not be filtered, disinfected or otherwise transformed into drinking water. This patent also describes that the water content that is naturally present in maple sap during the production of maple syrup may be removed and sold as non-carbonated water. This product however is produced from the older boiling process that was formerly used in the production of maple syrup. The water distilled off the sap was condensed and sold. Lastly, this patent also describes that a product may be produced from the water removed from maple sap by reverse osmosis. However, the product described requires a process where the water is strictly filtered and then carbonated before is it sold.